~ real food, balanced living ~

Beet and Apple Cucumber Refresher

As we welcome in the New Year, I thought it might be particularly timely to share some fresh ideas on clean eating.

January is an ideal opportunity to take stock in our health and get ourselves grounded in some health-building routines.

To kick things off, I’m featuring foods that minimize inflammation in the body and help support our liver (that wonderful organ that works so hard to clear toxins from our blood – our body’s true detoxification agent). Virtually every nutrient we consume, is filtered through our liver and transformed into a biochemical form that our bodies can use.When we bombard our livers with non-foods and drugs of various kinds (including alcohol), we risk overburdening this vitally important organ and undermining its ability to function optimally for our health and wellness.

Today, we are giving our bodies a well deserved boost by celebrating the benefits of glorious beets in the company of some other powerhouse nutrients. And, here’s some even better news, you won’t need a juicer to make it happen!

Nutrient Profile:

Beets are a particularly excellent source of folate and potassium and a good source of manganese, fibre and vitamin C – nutrients that have been shown to help protect us against heart disease, birth defects and certain forms of cancer.

Don’t throw out the greens!

Beet greens, for their part, are an excellent source of vitamin K as well as a good source of magnesium, iron and potassium.They are also an outstanding source of lutein, an antioxidant that helps shield our eyes from free radical damage serving to protect us against macular degeneration and cataracts.

Beet greens can be easily incorporated into soups, stews, salads and stir fries.

Anti-inflammatory, Healthy Aging and Liver Support:

The pigment that gives beets their gorgeous purple-red hue is also responsible for many of the vegetable’s health benefits.

Beets contain betaine, a natural compound that has been shown to reduce the growth of many types of cancer cells.Betaine also acts to shield cells from aging by helping protect the liver from chemical damage and reducing inflammation in the body. Congestion throughout the body and a sluggish liver can contribute not only to fatigue and discomfort, but also to weight gain, especially in the abdominal region.Abdominal fat, in turn, sets the stage for a cascade of inflammatory processes throughout the body which many health care practitioners now believe may be the root of disease.

There are also natural nitrates found in beets that function toimprove blood flow to the brain. This mechanism assists in supporting cognitive function and reducing the risk of age-related dementia by enhancing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.

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Beet and Apple Cucumber Refresher

1 generous cup cooked and sliced beets, roasted or well rinsed from a can

1/2 cup cucumber, chopped

1 happy looking apple, peeled, cored and chopped

Juice of one lemon

Handful of parsley

1/4 cup water or to desired consistency

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Notes:

Be sure to keep your beet greens and left-over parsley – we will be using them in another recipe later this week;

The apple lends just the right amount of natural sweetness to this drink but, if you like, you can add a tsp or so of unpasteurized honey or agave to the mix;

Combine beets, cucumber, apple, lemon juice and parsley together in a blender. Add water and blend – beginning with 1/4 cup and slowly adding more – until ingredients are smooth and desired consistency is achieved.

Comments

Darn beets! I want to like them. I really do. They are pretty. They are healthy. But try as I might, I just can’t do it. And I’ve tried. I suppose I could try again this year. Maybe 2012 will be the year of the beet. ;) Happy New Year Kelly! I’m looking forward to your cleansing recipes.

Happy New Year, Kelly and thank you so much for this nutrition lesson! I vaguely know which vegetables or fruits are good for us, but always have to check for their real benefits. I had no idea beetroots are so good for our health. I like beetroots (especially with herring), but cucumber is my number one guiltless vegetable! If I don’t have one in the fridge I panick! This drink sounds and looks very unusual and luscious! Your recipe is a real detox, not like my avocado and mayonnaise salad ;-) (well only one tablespoon, but still mayonnaise…)

I love the color of this drink! I started to experiment with beets but I prefer them in my salads, not so much in my smoothie unless it’s a small amount. I’ll have to try your recipe this month and let you know how I like it. I bet roasting the beets gives the smoothie a nice flavor. Happy New Year and look forward to your beet green recipe!

Growing up my mom would make us beet and apple juice for snacks or to go with our lunch. Cucumber would add such a nice refreshing quality. What a great reminder that it can be this easy to get in a few servings of veggies in one simple steps.

I intend to eat a lot more beets from now on, my beloved doesn t care for them, so the idea of using them in smoothies and drinks like that is very appealing, as I can make it for myself only, if he gets jealous, he can have a sip and be brought to the light side. :-)

Amazing Kelly, I absolutely love beets, particularly roasted beets — roasting them really bring out the natural sugars. I will definitely give this a try (lord knows I gave my liver a good workout this holiday season ;-)!) Such a gorgeous colour too. For those who’ve never eaten red beets you may wish to mention that they maintain their gorgeous red colour on exiting!

Ah, if only I could actually get raw beetroot :( It’s a joy being in Sweden – raw beetroot, raw horse-radish… all these things which France refuses to stock :( They sell all their beets pre-boiled in big tubs… What’s the fun in that? I want my beets with greens on and rock hard so I can roast them :( Boooo. Delicious looking recipe anyway though. Something to save for the summer when the beets are available for picking at the local pick-your-own farm!

haha… good point! (although in pureed form such as this drink, not so much… which makes me think we probably absorb it better too because our system is actually digesting more… fun stuff this nutrition world!). Cheers Eva! :)

Don’t forget the “no sour cream” while we’re at it, and don’t even get me started about meat substitutes like Quorn for vegetarians, or just those times when I actually don’t want to sink my teeth into flesh “yet again” :/

I find meat substitutes (ie: processed junk made to look like meat) of almost every kind pretty gross and laden with sodium. You’re better off with beans and fermented soy as substitutes. Stick to the real stuff.

Did you try Quorn before? The “basic” stuff (i.e. not the ready made pies or sausages, but just the basic chunks or mince) are actually really good. They marinade really well and absorb wine excellently, making for an excellent quorn chunk and mushroom pie. Bit of flaky pastry on top – delicious. I agree meat substitutes in general can be pretty rank, but I’m actually pretty impressed with Quorn, although it was a few years since I had it. I never did check sodium content so I couldn’t comment on that but sometimes it’s nice to have something with a “meaty bite” to it (as much as I love beans and their ilk) (not that it matters that much since I’m not vegetarian anyway, but I’m thinking of the poor veggies everywhere, wronged by the evil might of France! :p)

Kelly…I LOVE beets….but how could something so healthy look so luscious! I must admit, I’ve never pureed beets into a drink, but combined with apples and cucumbers…and what an interesting and healthy ‘slushie’. I’m curious…..I’ve heard that beet greens should be utilized more….are they bitter? GREAT post! : )

You can certainly use a juicer if that’s what you have but the blender works well too. Yes, the blender I guess technically makes it a smoothie ;0 – Happy New Year Amy (still thinking of that cute golden I spotted on your site… :)

Hi Anne – You know, I made a recipe with the greens today (stay tuned for tomorrow’s post) and I couldn’t detect any bitterness – the cooking process helps and if you can preserve the nutrients in the recipe then it’s a win/win :)

I used to have raw beetroot, celery and apple juice freshly juiced in the mornings for breakfast – think I should visit your lovely recipe, especially seeing that it has all of these wonderful health benefits.:-) Mandy

I’ve really never had much to do with beets, but just looking at this thick, delicious drink has reconsidering. And the health benefits you’ve listed are also a good reason to try this. It looks like you can eat it with a spoon!!